Fantasy: The rise of Levi
Midfielder Levi Greenwood has undergone a remarkable turnaround of his fortunes in 2014.
After playing just 11 games in the two years beforehand, the 25 year old has played every match since Round 2 this year and is North Melbourne's second most prolific fantasy scorer.
He's matched his hard defensive edge with an ability to be a damaging option when North have the ball. Impressed by his breakout season, Footy Prophet penned him a few questions.
Footy Prophet: Your turnaround this year has been nothing short of incredible. How did you make it happen?
Levi Greenwood: I'm not really sure to be honest. I trained hard over the off-season and waited for an opportunity to come up. I tried to hold my spot as well as I could, and it's just come down to hard work really.
FP: Are you familiar with just how well you're travelling in fantasy football terms? Over the last 3 months, you've scored as well as Gary Ablett, Josh Kennedy and Brendon Goddard.
LG: I've heard a few people have traded me in from some mates, but I haven't actually gone on there and had a look myself.
FP: Fantasy is all based around stats, and you've been getting some big numbers lately. Which part of your game do you see as the most important?
LG: It's just about playing my role first and foremost. Stats can come after that, everything will work itself out if I play my role.
FP: One thing that we've been impressed with is how you've managed to balance some shut-down roles with an ability to find plenty of the footy yourself. Is this something you've focused on - hurting the opposition by working hard both ways?
LG: It hasn't been a huge focus, but just having a bit more freedom in my role that I'm playing has given me the opportunity to win a bit more of my own ball rather than just being a complete shutdown job.
Hurting them (the opposition) the other way is something Brad wants me to do a bit more now, so that's probably the reason behind it.
FP: Among the players, who is the fantasy expert?
LG: Michael Firrito is definitely the expert and Nathan Grima rates himself as well. He's slipped a bit this year though; he used to rate himself as number one.
FP: Some of North's recent draftees, Trent Dumont, Taylor Garner and Mason Wood look like they could be good fantasy scorers, but we haven't seen much of them at AFL level. How good are they around the club?
LG: When Mason Wood gets his opportunity he's going to be a really important part of our side as that key hit-up forward.
Taylor Garner has been injured most of the year so we haven't had much of a chance to see him.
When Trent Dumont gets up and running in our midfield he'll be a great asset as well. He's just working on a few things in his game and then he'll be right to go.
FP: Brent Harvey has also been having a career-best season this year in terms of his fantasy numbers. How long do you think he can keep going?
LG: If no-one knew his age, no-one would even think he'd be close to retiring I wouldn't have thought. He's probably fitter than most blokes at the club in terms of match fitness.
He prepares well, he recovers well. There's no reason why he'd have to call it quits in the next couple of years really.
FP: Nick Dal Santo has been putting together good fantasy numbers on field. How good has his arrival been for the playing group?
LG: He (Dal Santo) gives another dimension to the team as that outside player with a bit of class that we probably lacked in the past.
He accompanies Boomer really well and he's taking a tag most weeks. With Boomer and Dal it can be a bit of a handful for opposition at the moment and then there's the skipper (Andrew Swallow), and if Wellsy (Daniel Wells) comes up as well you can't tag them all.
He's (Dal Santo) put some polish in our side which we needed.
FP: Finally, pretend you're participating in a fantasy draft, and you have the number 1 pick. Which AFL player (from any club) would you select to be on your team?
LG: Ablett. Ablett on one leg.
We'd have to agree.
Levi Greenwood has averaged 102 fantasy points this season, a career high. Since round 7 he's ranked second in the AFL, only behind Josh Kennedy (Sydney) for fantasy points scored.